


In Exchange For Help

by Game_of_Thorns



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-13 10:12:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5703835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Game_of_Thorns/pseuds/Game_of_Thorns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Why are you trying to save me?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> subject to updates and editing at short notice.

There was screaming. Fires blazed and blasters fired madly. Star Killer base was in chaos, and amongst that chaos, a girl with a borrowed lightsaber and a stolen blaster sprinted through the metal corridors. Stormtroopers were everywhere, and, when she heard the sounds of metal footsteps clanging around the corner, she leaped into an alcove that ended in a rarely used service door. Rey held her breath and stood completely still, waiting until the group of four had passed. Once they were gone, there was a lull in the chaotic noise, and in that lull, Rey heard someone shriek for help from behind the service door, before there was a crunch of metal and the sounds of a small explosion.

Rey scrambled towards the door, falling on her knees to examine the pad beside it. It was simple, like some of the ones on ships back on Jakku - scan to open. It was odd that they hadn’t changed designs after the fall of the Empire, but this just made her job easier. With a nod, she stood again and swung the butt of her blaster towards the pad’s glass surface, shattering it and damaging the mechanism. It gave off a few sparks before it shut off, the doors opening once they lost power.

When the doors had parted, Rey could see the interior of a service room. The floor was half gone, and she could see a raging fire down below. When she drew closer, she peered down over the edge and came face-to-face with a chrome-armoured Stormtrooper. The trooper’s helmet was visibly damaged and Rey noticed that there was blood dripping out from underneath it. She saw how the trooper’s grip on the broken ledge was slipping, and she considered turning her back and leaving this Stormtrooper to their fate. She shook her head, disgusted to be even thinking of such things. That is something He would do, she thought, cursing herself for thinking like he did. She was meant to be better than that, and if rescuing an injured Stormtrooper was the way, then she would - BOOM - her train of thought was disrupted by a large explosion from somewhere down below. The ship’s structure shook and Rey jumped back from the edge, and then dodged a piece of falling metal, unable to escape gaining a large gash on her calf.

Once the trembling stopped, she rushed back to the edge, grabbing the piece of metal - a slightly mangled safety ladder - and looked back down at the struggling trooper. The blood coming from under their helmet hadn't stopped dripping, and it was splattered all over the breastplate. With that amount of blood-loss, Rey determined that they would be weakened significantly, and she saw no weapon in sight. She quickly hooked the ladder over a twisted piece of metal that made up the floor and held it steady as she offered it to the trooper. They didn’t move.

What’s wrong with them? Rey asked herself, Why aren’t they letting me help them? She saw the trooper glance from the ladder and back up to her and she growled in frustration,  
“Will you hurry up?” she yelled, glaring at the eyes of the helmet, “This place is going to blow any minute now, and we’ll both be dead!”

The trooper continued to look up at her,  
“Why are you trying to save me?” the trooper, who Rey could now identify as female, asked, her voice crackling and distorted by the failing wires in her helmet. Rey frowned,  
“I don’t have time for that,” she yelled, “Just hurry up!” The chrome-armoured trooper didn’t respond, but manoeuvred her feet and freed one hand to grab hold of the ladder, hoisting herself upwards and out of the hole in the floor. Once she was standing on solid ground again, she swayed a little, due to the blood-loss, and Rey tried to prop her up as best she could, struggling to support the 6’3” trooper who was weighted down by the heavy armour.

Rey steadied the trooper and then gave her a menacing look,  
“We don’t have time to sit around and wait for this thing to explode,” she hissed, conscious of the open door leading to the very public hallway, “I just saved your life, and you will repay me by helping me steal a ship.” 

The trooper readjusted her cape and surveyed the smaller fighter, taking note of the blaster she gripped and the lightsaber on her belt. She also noted the power that flowed around her, much like Kylo’s did, a pulsing, raw energy that belonged to the Force, but so much lighter than his was. Compared to this small girl, she was defenceless. She would be left to bleed to death if she refused to help. To help would be to betray the First Order, but refusal meant death. She knew she should refuse. It was against her conditioning to defect. It was against everything she’d been trained for, against everything she knew. Her heart had overridden her brain. She would be selfish. She chose life. Turning to this girl who pulsed with the power of the Force, she paused, her conditioning giving one last attempt to dissuade her from breaking free. She pushed her doubts back,  
“Let’s go,” she said, turning and striding through the door, the soft patter of leather boots confirming the girl’s presence just behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Rey looked over at the woman sitting beside her, the shiny chrome armour reflecting the lights of their stolen ship’s interior. She would somehow have to convince her to take off all that armour before meeting General Organa, and the wound on her head needed treatment. Rey knew that her companion would not be comfortable with taking off her armour just yet, so she decided to let her be until she settled in a little. However, despite her companion being injured and unarmed, Rey was worried. The Resistance saw Phasma as a threat, so unless she could change the General’s opinion, there would be imprisonment for them both, maybe even execution. She shuddered a little at the thought.

The woman - Captain Phasma, as she’d introduced herself - sat silently, her eyes fixed forwards. She seemed to pay no mind to the blood that had slowed, but had not stopped dripping on her already blood-encrusted armour. With only the two of them on board, treatment would have to wait until they got to the base, and Rey was disappointed that she was unable to relieve the trooper from some of her pain. She huffed, disturbing the silence of the ship. Phasma turned to look at her, examining her. Rey internally squirmed under the Captain’s gaze, but continued to look straight ahead, occasionally glancing at the monitors to check their progress. Phasma didn’t say a word and soon returned to staring out the window, even though they were going too fast to see much. Rey fought a blush that crept up her neck and reddened her ears, and instead readied herself to slow the ship down as they approached the planet.

A communicator to her right crackled and Rey jumped, startled, as a familiar voice came over the line,  
“Unauthorised ship, identify yourselves,” the voice of Poe Dameron demanded as she slowed the ship for their descent and landing. Rey grinned, glad to hear someone she knew,  
“Hey Poe,” she chirped, “It’s Rey. Can I bring this stolen ship in to land?” Cheering erupted on the other end of the line,  
“Good to have you back,” Poe said, the excited voice of Finn as background noise. “Just land and we’ll sort the rest out.”  
“Okay,” Rey said, laughing, “I brought company, so we’ll need to see General Organa as soon as we’re there. Leave your weapons behind. She’s unarmed and injured.” There was a pause,  
“…Are you sure?” Poe asked, not liking the sound of whoever Rey was inviting into their base,  
“I saved her and she chose to come,” Rey said confidently, “She’s no danger.”  
“All right Rey,” Poe said with a sigh, “General Organa will meet you on the tarmac.”  
“Sweet!” Rey exclaimed, before the link shut off, leaving Rey to begin preparing for landing, the tarmac quickly coming into view through the windscreen. As Rey eased the ship into position, Phasma’s head rolled as she became dizzy. Rey panicked and the ship landed harder than she had intended, but she used the breaks, the wheels screeching a little as the ship came to a complete, but rough, stop.

When Rey turned to look at Phasma again, the woman’s head lolled, and Rey realised she was close to unconscious. Panicking, she unstrapped the harness of the chair and tapped her helmet. When there was no response, Rey put an arm under the trooper’s arms and semi-dragged her off the seat and then down onto the tarmac. The trooper was much heavier than Rey had first thought, and she huffed, supporting Phasma as she came to an exhausted stop in front of General Organa.

“General -“ she began, only to be cut off by the older woman,  
“Please, just Leia,” she said with a small smile, then gave an interested glance at the unconscious Stormtrooper, taking note of the different armour and the cape, as well as the drying blood all over her breastplate. She said nothing, but gestured for Rey to follow her to a private meeting room, Rey dragging the injured trooper with her as she entered the room.

The room was not large, and it was sparsely furnished, containing a bed, a small table and two chairs. There was a door off to the side which led to a small room with a shower, sink, and toilet. Rey grunted a little as she managed to drag the Captain’s large body onto the bed. As soon as she had Phasma lying down, she knocked on the helmet, earning herself a lazy swat as the woman on the bed came to. Rey giggled and perched herself on the bed beside Phasma, waving a hand in front of the eyes of the helmet. Phasma groaned.  
“So you’re awake now, right?” she asked, earning herself a sluggish nod. “That’s good. We need you to take your helmet off so someone can treat that wound.” The other woman squirmed, uncomfortable with the idea of exposing her face. “I know you’re uncomfortable, but we need you to take the helmet off,” Rey said, then spoke quietly; “Please Phasma. You’re safe here.” The woman grumbled but allowed Rey to prop her up and then carefully remove the cracked helmet.

The helmet came off, revealing the face of the woman she had saved. Her blonde hair was mussed and coated in dried blood, and the right half of her face was covered in crusted blood as well. Her eyes were what really caught Rey’s attention. Pale blue orbs, full of uncertainty, but also new-found trust. She was beautiful.

Rey shook her head and moved behind the other woman, inspecting the wound and removing several shards from the smashed helmet. As she was doing this, Leia caught her eye, and, from the way the older woman raised her eyebrow with a small smirk, Rey could tell that her face was flushed. Rey sent the other woman a menacing look, daring her to say something. When the General said nothing, Rey huffed and went back to cleaning Phasma’s wound.


	3. Chapter 3

“Rey, are you sure you can do this?” General Organa asked, gently taking the younger girl’s hands in her own, searching her eyes as Rey nodded silently,  
“I am,” she said, then gave a small sigh, “It’ll be hard to explain to Finn and Poe, but she deserves a chance, and even though I only thought about it for a moment, I feel dirty and cruel for even considering leaving her to die.” Leia smiled softly,  
“You will succeed,” she said, hugging the young girl, “I know you will.” Rey smiled, returning the hug, and then glancing towards the door they were standing in front of - the door to Phasma’s quarters. “Go. They’ll be done with treating her wounds now,” Leia said, her smile teasing. Rey blushed and made her escape, disappearing into Phasma’s quarters as soon as the medical team exited. As the door closed behind her, Rey heard Leia’s soft laughter as the older woman went on her way.

Phasma was sitting on her bed, her posture stiff and unsure. She relaxed a little when Rey reentered the room, and when the other girl came to sit beside her, she didn’t squirm, even returning Rey’s beaming smile with a tiny smile of her own. She was still in her armour, her wound bandaged, still covered in dried blood. Phasma let the brunette clean the blood off her face with a wet cloth, her eyes closed at the soothing touches. Rey took one armoured hand in her own, still smiling at the Stormtrooper,  
“You can take your armour off if you want,” she said, her eyes locked on Phasma’s. The other woman shifted, getting to her feet and slowly unclipping her cape. The material slipped from her shoulders, pooling on the floor, and Phasma was already unclipping her armoured gloves. She dropped her glove and it landed with a clang, her other glove following close behind it. Her belts were next, and then the pauldrons, which allowed her to get rid of the rest of the pieces on her arms. The breastplate was harder to remove, and Rey had happily helped unclip and remove the heavy piece. Phasma laughed when she saw Rey trying to carry it, and Rey blushed bright red, making a poor excuse before shutting herself in Phasma’s bathroom.

Rey looked in the mirror and groaned. Her face was red. She turned on the cold water tap, splashing her face with the water and groaning again as she remembered the tight under-armour that clung to Phasma’s impressive muscles, rippling as she moved. Rey buried her face in her hands and muffled a frustrated scream. She washed her face again and leaned against the door, sliding down until she was sitting on the ground where she waited for her blush to recede before leaving the bathroom. 

The Stormtrooper had returned to her seated position on the bed, now in just her under-armour, the heavy chrome pieces piled haphazardly on the floor. She smiled at Rey this time, and Rey came and sat beside her. There was silence, and in that silence, Rey took Phasma’s hand again, giving it a comforting squeeze. Phasma made no move to pull her hand away, instead, brushing her thumb lightly over the back of the brunette’s hand and returning the squeeze. A hint of worry was present in the taller woman’s eyes which caused Rey to frown,  
“What’s wrong?” she asked. Phasma fiddled with the blankets on the bed beneath her,  
“I am worried the First Order may seek me out,” she said quietly, “I have, after all, betrayed them, and I was Captain, so Snoke will surely notice my absence.”  
“Perhaps they will assume you died in the explosion,” Rey said, squeezing the woman’s hand again, “No matter what, you are safe here. I will protect you, even if the First Order comes and tries to snatch you away.”  
“And your friends? The rest of the Resistance?” Phasma asked, her worry evident on her face, “Do they agree to protect me as they would each other?” Rey gave her another reassuring squeeze,  
“General Organa will not let them harm you,” Rey told her, “They are loyal and will protect you as they do each other.”  
“I won’t hurt you,” Phasma said, her voice hushed, “Never.” Rey beamed, turning towards the taller woman so their eyes locked together, slowly drawing closer together. Rey cupped Phasma’s cheek, stroking it softly. Phasma’s free hand came to rest on her waist, and Rey realised she was sitting on the taller woman’s lap, but all she cared about was Phasma, the way her lips felt when they kissed, and the strong arm that held her close.

When they parted, smiling and drawing deep breaths of much-needed oxygen, Rey didn’t move from the taller woman’s lap. Instead, she was content to rest her head against Phasma’s chest until her thoughts stopped swimming. This Stormtrooper had defected for her. Looking up into those piercing blue eyes, Rey smiled,  
“I won’t hurt you either,” she said before drawing the ex-Stormtrooper into another kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

“Look, I’m trying to not be judgemental about all this,” Poe began, striding along next to her, “But are you sure Phasma’s completely safe?” Rey frowned at him,  
“Phasma is fine,” she snapped, speeding up her strides, “Besides, you had no problem letting Finn tag along.”  
“She’s a Stormtrooper Rey!” he protested, ignoring her argument concerning Finn and jogging to keep up with his angry companion, “And she’s a pretty high ranking one at that!” Rey stopped suddenly, whipping around to glare at him,  
“If you’ve got a problem with me letting Phasma have a chance at a free life, you can take your complaints to General Organa,” she hissed, her eyes blazing. With that, she turned on her heel and stormed away to the gym with a parting “Go fuck yourself.”

Rey had beaten up a mannequin and was over half-way through a second when she finally felt her anger had been sufficiently relieved. With a final kick, the practice dummy toppled to the floor. She sighed. Whilst she couldn’t blame Poe for being cautious of Phasma, it hurt that he didn’t trust her to know what she was doing. He was meant to be her friend, but if he couldn’t trust her, it put their friendship on shaky ground. She huffed and grabbed her things before heading back to her quarters. It would take at least a week before she would feel ready to talk to Poe again, and she was unhappy when she realised this would have to extend to Finn as well. As she stripped off her sweaty training gear to shower, she decided that she would just hang out with Phasma until Poe stopped being such a dick.

Her shower helped relieve some of the tension and left her clear-headed, and Rey emerged from her quarters in a better mood. She began making her way down to Phasma’s quarters, the memories from the day before assaulting her with how Phasma’s lips felt, the way their hands were locked together, the way Phasma’s other arm held her close. Rey felt her face heating up and came to a stop when she realised that she had passed the door to the ex-Stormtrooper’s quarters already. She turned around and hurried back to the right door, hoping that no one had seen what she had just done.

When she entered, Phasma looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. Rey let the door close as she hurried over and flopped herself down beside Phasma on the bed. She sighed,  
“What’s wrong?” Phasma asked, setting her book aside in favour of planting a kiss on Rey’s head. The brunette leaned her head on the taller woman’s shoulder,  
“Poe’s being a dick about you,” she said, huffing, “I thought he trusted me to be able to make my own decisions, but apparently not.”  
“Well, you are asking them to place their trust in someone who was an enemy a few days ago,” Phasma said, taking Rey’s hand in her own,  
“They let us keep Finn though,” Rey said, frowning, “Surely their capacity for second chances extends to everyone.”  
“I don’t know their thoughts Rey,” Phasma said, kissing her cheek to comfort her, “But I do know that you’re doing what you know is best.”  
“Really?” tears formed in Rey’s eyes,  
“Yes,” Phasma said, then noticed the tears pooling in the brunette’s eyes, “Why are you crying? Please don’t cry! Did I do something? What’s wrong-“  
“They’re happy tears Phasma,” Rey said, interrupting the ex-Stormtrooper’s panicking, “I don’t know what I could have possibly done to deserve you.” Phasma pressed a soft kiss to Rey’s nose,  
“You saved me,” she said, tilting the brunette’s chin up to kiss her properly. Rey gave her a teary smile when they parted and wiped her eyes. She shuffled closer to the taller woman, and Phasma pulled her in closer, encouraging Rey to snuggle into her side,  
“And you stole a ship for me,” Rey said, smiling and leaning in to kiss Phasma again before snuggling down into the taller woman’s embrace, “Now what are we going to do whilst I avoid my friends today?”

The files made a loud thump as General Organa deposited them on the table in front of the two other women,  
“This is what you’re going to do,” she said, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow as she eyed them both, “Paperwork. Administration needs this before next week. I’ll be back in two hours.” Leia walked away from them as they sat and gaped at the large pile, “Have fun!” she called as the door swung closed behind her. Rey and Phasma slowly turned and exchanged pained grimaces before looking back at the files sitting before them. Rey sighed,  
“This is not what I had in mind when I thought of fun,” the brunette said, slouching in her chair with a groan. She reached out and grabbed a pen before sluggishly dragging one of the folders towards herself, “Let’s get this over with so Admin doesn’t come down to kick my ass six ways to next millennium.”

They sat in miserable silence for the entirety of the next two hours, and when General Organa returned to collect the paperwork, she found the neatly stacked files with two pens on top of them on the table in the vacant room. Upon further inspection, she discovered a note informing her that Rey and Phasma had left in search of ‘Real Fun’. She laughed to herself as she strode through the corridors of the building towards the administration block.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done, unless I decide to revise this work at some stage. But I'm pretty happy with it, so probably not. Tell me what you think! I might even write a sequel!
> 
> EDIT: No we're not done. I've decided to continue. There will be more!

Rey and Phasma strolled through the corridors, which were peacefully quiet. Rey had already shown Phasma the training rooms, shooting range, and cafeteria, and they were currently en route to the airfield, where Rey had said that she’d show Phasma some of the ships. They exited through a pair of double doors that led to the outside, stepping out onto the tarmac. Rey stopped to let Phasma look around, noting how the taller woman gazed excitedly at the ships. She smiled when the taller woman looked back at her and gestured towards a building only a short distance away.  
“That’s one of the hangars where we keep some ships,” Rey said as they made their way towards the building, “There’s also a warehouse around the back for supplies. That’s where we’re going.” When Phasma gave her a questioning raise of a well-shaped eyebrow, Rey smiled, “Well, you can’t stay in your under-armour for the rest of your life. We’re getting you some clothes.” Phasma smiled, squeezing Rey’s hand,  
“And they will not mind us taking supplies?” she asked. Rey smiled and returned the hand squeeze,  
“No,” Rey replied, “You are part of the Resistance now. You are allowed to have what we have.” Phasma’s smile broadened,  
“Thank you,” she said quietly. Rey grinned and stood on her tip toes to steal a kiss from the taller woman, a kiss that was gladly responded to. They stood there, kissing, and then, when they broke apart, just gazing at each other before Phasma wrinkled her nose,  
“Right, can we go get those clothes now?” she asked, having caught a whiff of the smelly under-armour, “I’d very much enjoy not smelling of sweat and blood, thanks.” Rey laughed, taking Phasma’s hand and hurrying around the hangar to the warehouse.

When they entered the warehouse, Rey called to a droid that had just finished stacking crates from a freighter. The droid beeped and whistled at her, and the scavenger nodded in response. The droid zoomed away and Rey gestured for Phasma to follow her. Rey led her tall companion through the stacks of crates and working droids to a door which led to a separate room. The door opened and once they had both shuffled inside, it closed behind them. The lights flickered on as the door closed, revealing the room. It was small and filled with rows of boxes, crates, and, at the far end of the room, a rack to hang some of the larger, more delicate deliveries. Rey turned and gave Phasma a once over with her eyes. With a nod, she spun back around and led Phasma through the rows, each end marked with what Phasma assumed were sizes. Rey stopped and opened a box, from which she removed several bundles and three pairs of boots. She turned to Phasma and held out the boots,  
“These are what you’ll need to try on here,” she said. Phasma took the boots and looked questioningly at the other bundles, “The rest of these should fit you fine. These clothes are some of the basics, but you can place an order for anything else you’d like before the freighter leaves next week.” Phasma examined the boots and nodded, pulling off the hard shell that protected her feet from the armour. Underneath, her feet were bare and she slipped the boots on, moving her feet around and walking a short distance to test them out. When she deemed them comfortable, she repeated the process with the other two pairs. They fit her perfectly and Rey smiled and congratulated herself on her estimates of Phasma’s size.

Phasma kept her new favourite boots on and smiled at Rey as they left the warehouse and strolled towards the hangar, where they could see the ground crew guiding a small ship inside. Rey noticed how her companion hesitated as they got closer to the big doors. Taking the taller woman’s hand, Rey gave it a comforting squeeze,  
“Stop worrying,” she said, “No one’s gonna hurt you, I’m right here.”  
“Won’t your pilot friend be around here?” Phasma asked, “I’d rather not get into trouble with him.” Rey shook her head,  
“No, he’s with Finn right now,” she replied, “I heard that he’s got the day off, so he’s going to be with Finn all day. Now, let’s go look at the ships.” They passed through the big doors and Rey stopped,  
“This is where we keep the smaller vessels; the fighters, the aircraft we use for transport, and I think there’s a few speeders and other things lying around too.” Rey watched as Phasma stared around in awe and lead her further inside. Rey waved at various pilots and mechanics that she knew, and led Phasma over to where a small craft was parked. Next to it was the small ship that they had stolen in order to make their getaway from the Star Killer.  
“This here is my ship,” Rey said, gesturing to the small craft. It was a little smaller than their stolen ship, and was a little beaten, with some of its parts lying around it, “She’s a little battered, but one of the mechanics said I could have her if I managed to fix her up. I’m thinking of asking the General if we can keep the stolen ship and let you have it. You can fly, right?” Phasma nodded,  
“I was a pilot before I got promoted,” she said, turning to gaze thoughtfully at the stolen vessel, “Can we repaint it so I don’t have to look at the sad remnants of the First Order whenever I see this ship?”  
“I don’t see why not,” Rey said, “She’ll be yours to do what you want with pretty soon.”  
“Thank you Rey,” Phasma said softly, her voice cracking a little as her gaze met her companion’s, “You’re giving me a piece of my past to relive the way it should have happened.” Rey embraced Phasma and kissed her,  
“You deserve this,” Rey firmly told her, leaving no room for argument.

Later that night, as they lay in Rey’s bed, sweat covered skin pressed together and rapidly cooling, Phasma was awfully silent in a way which Rey knew meant that her companion was doubting herself or thinking herself unworthy. Rey rolled over to face the taller woman, bringing her hand up to cup a pale and soft cheek,  
“What’s bothering you?” Rey asked in a hushed voice. Phasma’s brow furrowed,  
“Why?” she asked, so soft that Rey almost didn’t hear her, “Why did you save me? Why are you so kind to me, when I have given you and your friends nothing but pain? Why-“ Rey cut her off, pressing a slender finger against Phasma’s lips.  
“Stop that,” she said, caressing her cheek and hair, “Everyone deserves a chance. I couldn’t just leave someone to suffer, no matter what they’ve done. You deserved your freedom. You broke your conditioning for me. And-“ here, Rey sucked in a breath and decided to just tell her, “And I love you.” There was silence between them, but their eyes were locked together, preventing doubt from taking root in Rey’s heart as she waited for Phasma to reply. Phasma’s face broke into a beautiful smile and she swept Rey into a sweet kiss,  
“I love you too,” the blonde replied, her eyes filling with tears. Rey smiled, and wiped the tears away, snuggling closer to her lover.  
“Can we go to sleep now?” she asked, although it was muffled by Phasma’s bare breasts, which Rey was using as a pillow. Phasma laughed and pressed a kiss to the top of Rey’s head,  
“Of course we can,” she said, and wrapped her arms around her smaller lover before settling in for the night and slowly, they drifted off to sleep, safe in the warmth of each other’s arms.


	6. Chapter 6

People scurried around the Millennium Falcon, hefting boxes of supplies and rounding up crew members. The airfield was in chaos, and amongst the mess, Rey stuck close to her lover’s side, the taller woman able to guide them through the crowd with ease. As they neared the ship, Finn drew up alongside Rey, greeting them with a smile, although, for Phasma, it was a fearful smile. Rey smiled at him, and after a moments hesitation, Phasma did too. The taller woman noticed a little relief creep into Finn’s expression, and her smile became a little more genuine.  
“Phasma, this is the Millennium Falcon,” Rey said, diverting their attention to the ship in front of them, which had only been fully repaired in the last few days.  
“She cleans up well,” the taller woman remarked, before turning her gaze back to Rey, “I had been hearing rumours that she didn’t fly anymore, but I gather that is not the case?”  
“She’s back in shape,” Rey said proudly, as she had completed her work on the ship the previous day. Phasma laid a hand on her lover’s shoulder,  
“Han Solo would be proud,” she said, drawing a surprised look from Finn.  
“I know,” Rey said softly. She sighed, “But we can’t change the past.” There was silence for a moment, “We should go.” They all continued on towards the ship.

Inside, Rey busied herself with settling down for the journey, Phasma taking her place by the brunette’s side. Finn had left soon after they boarded to go find Poe, shooting Rey an apologetic smile as he left. Rey was grateful that Finn was still talking to her, but hated having him play the messenger between herself and Poe. She sighed and Phasma gave her a comforting squeeze, her strong arms wrapped around her lover’s waist, Rey returning the gesture and burying her face in Phasma’s chest. She was glad Phasma had agreed to come with them to find Luke.

A knock on the door interrupted their embrace and Phasma sighed, kissing her lover once before separating. Not a second later, the door opened and General Organa strode in, stopping before them and cocking an eyebrow at them.  
“Am I interrupting something?” she asked, playing innocent. Rey flushed bright red, and Leia smirked, “Well I apologise for that, but we’re ready to leave, so we need both of you out in the main area.” Rey gave a frustrated sigh but didn’t argue, trailing after the General, with Phasma beside her.

The main area was busy, and Rey saw Finn over by one wall, BB-8 beside him. When the droid saw Rey, it chirped happily, whizzing over to do laps around her feet. Rey laughed, crouching down to the level of the white and orange droid, which came to a stop in front of her, beeping at her. She reached out and stroked its head, before grinning up at her lover. BB-8 beeped inquisitively at the tall woman, and Phasma was surprised when Rey laughed and tugged her hand, indicating that Phasma should crouch too. The tall woman did, her knees cracking in protest. She took a moment to examine the droid. It beeped at her again.  
“So this is the famous droid that stole a freighter?” she mused. Rey laughed,  
“I helped, but yeah,” Rey said, BB-8 head butting her leg and beeping angrily at her. Phasma laughed,  
“Pleased to meet such a fine droid!” she said, and the droid chirped happily at her,  
“Please, Phasma, don’t boost his ego,” Finn said, laughing when the droid extended its lighter in a gesture that was not a thumbs up,  
“Hey! Who taught him that?” Rey asked, gesturing to the lighter. BB-8’s head spun to look at her. Finn shrugged,  
“Well, I don’t think I did,” he said, then scratched his head as he leaned against the wall, “I can’t remember.” The ship gave a shudder and Finn slid down the wall, landing on his butt.  
“Looks like we’re moving,” Phasma said, settling herself on the floor before pulling Rey into her lap.  
“We are in deed moving,” Leia said, entering the room. She sat elegantly on a chair and surveyed the room, noting C-3PO and R2-D2 entering and being mobbed by an eager BB-8. Leia rolled her eyes at the energetic droids, and surveyed the human occupants of the room, noting how Rey was curled in Phasma’s lap, as if she were falling asleep. She exchanged a look with Finn, who just shook his head and smiled. She noticed Rey give a yawn and snuggle into her lover’s embrace, and now she knew the girl was asleep. Her eyes locked with Phasma’s, and the General raised one eyebrow.  
“Know this, Phasma,” she began, her voice soft enough to not wake Rey, “If you hurt her, I will not restrain myself from personally making your death long and painful.” The General noticed with satisfaction that Phasma looked afraid, and she smirked just a little bit, before diverting her attention to the droids. She watched as the ship made a sharp turn, and the round droid used claw-like tools to hold onto the wall, and then another to grab R2-D2. Leia rolled her eyes and smiled as her gaze fell on Finn, slumped against the wall, fast asleep, and, nearby, Phasma had snuggled into Rey, peacefully asleep and blissfully happy. The General smiled, glad to see happiness blooming on board the Millennium Falcon. C-3PO stepped up beside her,  
“You’re smiling, General,” he said, resting his one gold hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked at him,  
“Enough of that,” she huffed, “It’s Leia, thank you.” The droid gave a metallic laugh,  
“You’re happy,” he said, not moving his hand, “You haven’t been happy in a while, General. Not since…” he trailed off, knowing the subject was upsetting to her. Leia waved dismissively,  
“I’m fine,” she said, “I’m just glad they’ve both found someone to be happy with.”  
“And you?” he asked. She ignored his question, instead, she got to her feet and strode with purpose into the cabin, leaving the droids with the sleeping humans. Once she was far enough away from them, she allowed herself to heave a weary sigh, although she didn’t allow herself to display just how tired she was. She would be strong for them, the new face of the Resistance, the heroes who needed her support. Leia drew a deep breath, and straightened her posture even more, before opening the door to the cabin. She had to be strong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated to edit out embarrassing typos.


	7. Chapter 7

The ship came to a shuddering stop, and Phasma’s head thumped back against the metal wall behind her. She groaned and sleepily opened her eyes, rubbing at the sore spot on her head. Rey stirred in her lap, snuggling down into her lover’s chest. Phasma smiled at the sight, stroking the brown hair, before gently nudging her. Rey huffed and remained asleep, even as the General strode into the room,  
“We have arrived,” the General said, “If you could wake your companion, we can then proceed.” Phasma nodded and nudged her sleeping lover,  
“Wake up Rey,” she said, softly stroking the smaller woman’s hair. Rey growled and buried her face in Phasma’s neck. The taller woman laughed,  
“Don’ wanna,” Rey mumbled, yawning sleepily,  
“We’ve arrived,” Phasma told her, stroking her back, “It is time for you to meet Luke Skywalker.” At this, Rey perked up. She gave Phasma a soft kiss, before wriggling out of the taller woman’s grasp and getting to her feet. Phasma laughed, getting to her feet slowly, leaning against the wall as feeling suddenly returned to her legs. When her legs were back to normal, she took Rey’s hand and let the shorter woman lead her out of the ship. The others were standing on the grass, waiting for them. Rey greeted them with a wave and a smile, which soon disappeared when she gave a sleepy yawn.  
“Rey, you will need to proceed alone,” General Organa said. Rey turned to her, a questioning look on her face. The General handed the younger woman Luke’s lightsaber and gestured towards the steep stone path that winded its way up the side of the rugged island cliffs. “We will wait for your return.” Rey nodded, gripping the lightsaber tightly. She turned to Phasma, cupping the taller woman’s cheek with her hand. Pulling Phasma down into a gentle kiss, Rey whispered her farewell, and Phasma promised to wait for her,  
“I love you,” Rey whispered, resting their foreheads together. Phasma smiled brightly at her,  
“I love you too,” she replied, claiming one more kiss before she let the brunette go. She watched Rey leave with a sigh, watched as her lover made her way up the path towards the top.

Phasma paced back and forth across the small area of ground that the group had set up camp on. Rey had long since disappeared out of her sight, and she was worried. The others merely sat nearby, not seeming to share in her discomfort. The General, at least, glanced up at the steepness of the cliffs occasionally.  
“Phasma, stop pacing before you wear a hole right through the island,” Finn said, setting aside the blaster he was polishing. She turned to him and raised an eyebrow, “I know you’re worried about her, but Rey is strong. She can do this.” His words didn't provide her much comfort, and she glanced nervously up at the peak, wringing her hands. Finn sighed.  
“Finn’s right, you know,” the General said, encouraging the tall blonde to sit down, “Rey’s a strong woman, she has the Force to guide her. I assure you, she will return soon.” Phasma nodded, silently praying that the General was right.  
Rey, meanwhile, could feel the anxiety radiating off her lover like heat from the sands of Jakku, and tried to send back comforting thoughts. She stood, back to the ocean, facing Luke Skywalker. He looked haggard, wind swept and tired. She held the lightsaber out to him, offering a return to a life he had tried to forget. Up on the green island, between the old grave stones, he said nothing, merely reached out and took the lightsaber from her hand. She looked him in the eye, then, slowly, she turned and made her way back down the rocky path, the soft steps of her leather boots, and the almost silent steps of his, were the only sounds they heard as they descended down towards the Millennium Falcon.

As Phasma paced, a movement high up on the path caught her eye. She cried out in relief, catching the attention of the General and Finn.  
“Up there!” she cried, pointing to where she could see two figures slowly making their way downwards, “They are returning!”  
The General gave a soft sniffle, wiping away a tear before it could fall, glad to be seeing her brother again after so long. Finn cheered, running joyfully into the ship, shouting for the others to come outside and celebrate. Phasma only stared up at the mountain, smiling, uncaring about the tears that streaked down her cheeks, and uncaring about any who saw her reaction. In the background, she heard the droids whistle and beep, and the grunting of Chewbacca, but she focused on the figure that was her lover, slowly coming down towards her.

They greeted each other, Rey running and flinging herself into Phasma’s open arms. The taller woman kissed her lover and smiled at her, gripping her tightly. Rey beamed brightly, her legs dangling in the air when Phasma swept her up to kiss her again. They laughed happily and embraced each other, pulling away when General Leia rushed by to confront her brother. They watched the siblings stare at each other in silence for a long time before Leia finally spoke,  
“Brother…” she said, her voice hushed and cracking with emotions she was trying to hide. Luke remained silent. Phasma and Rey exchanged a worried look.  
“Are they all right?” Phasma asked her lover in a hushed voice,  
“They haven’t seen each other in a long time,” Rey replied, her voice equally as quiet, her arm still wrapped around Phasma’s waist. The taller woman nodded in understanding, and quietly suggested they leave the two to reunite in peace. Rey nodded, and she and Phasma moved back towards the ship, where the others had already disappeared.

Once they were all back in the ship, Rey was silent as she sat in Phasma’s lap. It was a comfortable silence. Finn sat against the wall nearby, BB-8 next to him. Neither Leia nor Luke were present, and Rey supposed the two other droids were with them. A door opened and both Rey and Phasma looked up at the sound. Poe poked his head into the room, an embarrassed look on his face, approaching them cautiously and sitting on the floor at a safe distance from them. He hung his head in embarrassment,  
“Rey… I-I’m sorry,” he began, “I’m sorry for acting like a child. I should have trusted you to know what you were doing. You don't have to forgive me now, but I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry.” With that, he got to his feet and went to leave the room. As he reached the door, he paused and looked back at them, “Welcome to the Resistance, Phasma.” Then he left the room, the door shutting behind him with a soft hiss. The two women watched him leave and they were silent, both thinking about Poe’s apology. Phasma wrapped her arms around her lover and squeezed her comfortingly. Rey sighed softly, and snuggled into her lover’s embrace, settling in for the long flight back to the base that none of them could really call home yet. Perhaps it would become home soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done folks! Please tell me your thoughts about this story! (Side note: I may end up writing a sequel, but don't hold me to it.)


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